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GENEROSITY IS A SPIRITUAL ISSUE
by Michael Rehak
Associate with the Bishop
micha...@scsw-elca.org
How generous are you? How spiritually and emotionally healthy are you? Most of us would like to think that we are very giving people. We do give what we can and we are always willing to help out when there is a need ... we tell ourselves and others. But are we generous AND how is our emotional and spiritual health?
Last month I wrote about the theology of scarcity versus the theology of abundance. Our theology contains the mantras that we pronounce over ourselves. These mantras include the telling of ourselves of how well off we are and how generous we have become. These mantras are reflections of our spiritual and emotional health.
The Catalogue for Philanthropy puts out an annual generosity index. Utilizing data from tax returns (two years previous), a generosity index is created. They rank states according to average adjusted gross incomes and compare that to the amount given to charity by those who itemize deductions.
So, where do you think our average income in Wisconsin stands compared to those in other states? How wealthy are we, or should I ask, how poor are we? As I have visited congregations and have had the opportunity to ask people, most answered in a range of middle to the lower end. What about our generosity? How do we compare? Many see Wisconsinites as fairly generous.
Our theology and the corresponding mantras shape our responses and form our behaviors. When we start with a theology and attitude of "we don't have enough," we will never be satisfied. We will always be protecting what we have. Being an integrated whole person, our attitude in one area of life informs, and forms, our responses in other aspects. Our generosity with money will shape a generosity with property, a generosity with our time, a generosity with our attitudes and emotions; giving love, acceptance, forgiveness. Withholding in one area will tend to cause us to withhold in other areas; being stingy with our emotions may very well
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